Marine & Natural History Photography BA(Hons)

You'll practice photographic skills alongside research and critical thinking. During this year, you'll explore biodiversity and habitat, as well as the marine environment, and will participate in a number of local field trips to land and marine environments. 

Modules

Developing Practice

In your first module, you'll be introduced to basic photography skills and camera techniques. 

Research and Critical Thinking

Establishing research and critical thinking skills, you’ll learn how to generate ideas, understand the impact of photography and improve your writing. 

Biodiversity and Habitat

In this module, you’ll study and photograph the intricate web of life in a local habitat. 

Exploring Practice: Land or Underwater

For this module there are two options. You can explore further photographic skills on land or practice them in an underwater environment.  

To qualify for the underwater photography option, you must have achieved the PADI Rescue diver qualification (or equivalent ie. BSAC Sport diver) by the start of the academic year. 

Communicating Nature

Through lectures and live examples, you’ll learn to communicate scientific ideas through text and photographic sequence. 

The Marine Environment

You will explore and photograph the seashore right on our doorstep and learn about important ocean issues. 

Alongside studying moving image and still photography, you'll develop your research and critical thinking skills, explore global conservation, and get ready for your own research project. You will also get the opportunity to undertake a short period of work experience. 

Modules

Extending Practice: Land or Underwater 

Choosing between the Land or Underwater option for this module, you’ll practice advanced techniques through the development of an independent project. 

To choose the Underwater option, you must have completed the Exploring Practice: Underwater module in your first year. 

Introduction to Filmmaking 

Through the process of producing a collaborative short film, you’ll learn how nature and environmental films are made. 

Conservation Stories 

Examine conservation issues and learn how visual media can have a huge impact. 

Photography of the Natural World 

In this module, you’ll learn how photographers use images to make a positive difference and produce your own portfolio. 

Independent Filmmaking Practice 

Working independently, you’ll create and produce your own short film about people and planet. 

Work Experience 

You will spend a short period of time undertaking work experience in a relevant professional context. 

You will be responsible for finding and securing your placement, with support from course lecturers.   

You can choose to take an optional professional placement after your second year on a three-year programme, or after your third year if you’re studying for a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year. 

You’ll be responsible for finding your own placement, with support from the Employability team. 

Choosing this option will enhance your industry experience and skills while studying. 

How you’ll study during your professional placement 

You’ll spend time working in a professional context, as part of a business or organisation. This can be in one role, or up to three, and must be for a minimum of 24 weeks. 

You’ll develop in-demand workplace skills, deepen your insight into industry and grow your network of contacts, all of which could help you get ahead in your career after graduation. 

Throughout this year, you’ll develop a portfolio of work that includes critical self-reflection on what has been learned from the experience. You’ll be required to evidence your experiences, the skills you’ve learned and your professional growth. 

In your final year, you’ll create your Major Project using still or moving images, or a combination of both. You will support this with an extensive piece of writing about the subject of your project, along with a career plan to help you move into your chosen area of the industry. 

Modules

Project Development

You’ll research and begin to develop a major project using still or moving image. 

Culture and the Environment

You’ll research and write an extended essay on the subject of your major project. 

Major Project

This module marks the culmination of your studies. You’ll complete your Major Project and produce a professional portfolio ready to take into industry.  

Professional and Entrepreneurial Practice

With support from lecturers, you’ll develop a clear plan showing how you intend to move into your chosen area of the industry after graduating. 

Why study an Integrated Foundation Year route? 

If you’re taking on a new subject that you haven’t studied in depth before, have been out of education for a while or have a non-standard educational background then an Integrated Foundation Year degree may be the right choice for you. It is a four-year degree with an Integrated Foundation Year to start, which allows you to explore the primary elements of your subject before progressing on to the remaining three years of the BA(Hons) degree. 

What you'll study in your Foundation year

If you choose this pathway, you'll study five core modules in your Foundation year. These are all designed to help you explore the foundational elements of your subject. You'll gain relevant technical skills, learn to experiment and take risks, develop an understanding of professional practice, have opportunities to work across disciplines and collaborate with other students on live project briefs. 

Modules

Explore

You'll begin your foundation year by working collaboratively with others to explore themes of the future. You'll take risks, experiment through play and be supported to break through barriers.

Technique

You'll take subject-specific workshops and develop essential technical and practical skills in your area of study. You'll also enhance your analytical and organisational abilities.

Apply

You'll work with your peer group to think beyond discipline by addressing a societal or global issue. You'll then showcase your work to your peers and deliver and accompanying evaluation of your process.

Industry

You'll enhance your creative and practical skills in your subject specialism by responding to typical industry briefs, underpinned by focused research and experiments. You'll also gain industry insights through guest lectures and workshops.

Launch

You'll develop your unique identity in your specialism through the production of a self-initiated body of work. Your final project will be the bridge to your next year, fully supported by evaluative reviews and critical analysis of the work you have created.

After the Foundation year, you progress into Year One of the full three-year degree, equipped with a deeper knowledge of your subject, a clear understanding of your strengths, and develop a practical and technical skillset and the confidence to excel in your chosen subject. 

If you apply for and enrol onto a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year, you’ll have the option to switch onto a five-year version including a placement year. That means you’ll complete the first three years of your course before completing a placement in industry in your fourth year and returning to Falmouth for the fifth year of your programme. 

The Integrated Foundation Year pathway for this course is new for entry year 2023 and subject to validation.

You’ll learn through field trips, photographic and scientific excursions, technical workshops, lectures, seminar, and tutorials. 

The Marine and Natural History Photography course includes an optional underwater programme. In addition to diving in Cornish waters, those undertake this option have the opportunity to practice their skills in the Red Sea. 

In the final year of the course students pursue an independent major project. This can use either stills or moving image, or a combination of both, to tell stories from anywhere on the planet.  

Students have previously created projects that have documented climate change in Norwegian glaciers, conducted research in the Ecuadorian rainforest, filmed conservation work in the Amazon, and told the story of the indigenous fishing community of the Bajo. 

At Falmouth, we use a 'digitally enhanced learning & teaching' approach. Your experience will always be predominantly in-person, including seminars, tutorials and studio teaching, with some, more targeted elements, being online either live (synchronous) or pre-recorded (asynchronous). You can read more here.

100% of your assessment will be coursework. 

Assessment methods

• Foundation year assessments are 100% coursework based  
• Practice-based modules will be assessed on the presentation of portfolios, including preparatory work.  
• Critical studies modules will be assessed on written assignments or presentations. 
• In the final year, you’ll be assessed on your major independent project which is supported by an extended piece of contextual writing and a professional portfolio.  
• Feedback is given throughout the modules to help you improve your work.